Claim Your Prize
by IFeltHope44
Summary: Katara and Zuko face off in a practice match, but when Zuko does something that reminds him of Azula, he can't take it anymore.


**Some random post-series crap. x)**

**I own nothing! Zuko, Katara, Azula, Toph, Suki, and everything recognizable belongs to Mike/Bryan/Nickelodeon.**

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"Bring it on!" Katara shouted, drawing water up around her in quicksilver whips. Zuko didn't hesitate to strike first, and fire fanned out from his body like living lava. A tidal wave of water crashed over the flames, effortlessly extinguishing the vivid orange.

Katara laughed. "That all you got, your highness?" She smirked as daggers of ice pelted down at him from the dark sky above. Easily, he dodged, coming at her with ropes of relentless fire. She fought fire with water, her arms coated comfortably in her weapons. Behind her, an immense wall of river water rose quietly before dousing Zuko's fire and knocking him on his back.

Zuko growled once he regained his footing; a dark spark surfaced in his eyes. He pressed his palms together in front of his chest then raised to fingers to the sky. Lightning cracked on his fingertips, ready to strike.

"No," he murmured, horrified, and dropped his hands as snippets of memories raced past his gold eyes.

_Azula heaved up onto her feet, panting with exhaustion. _

_"No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?" he had shouted, morphing his stance into one of defense. He glared at his sister through the smoke that lazily floated in the air. _

_The princess bared her teeth and growled bestially, her eyes wild and furious. Her roughly chopped hair hung limp about her face, and her shoulders heaved with her strangled breaths. "I'll show you lightning!" she screeched, churning her arms in circles, drawing up her fierce, blue lightning around her body. Fingers poised and flaring with electricity, Azula glanced around hungrily until her mad gaze settle on Katara, who was standing solidly behind her brother. _

_A maniacal smirk crept across her haggard face, then she lashed out at the water tribe girl, having no mercy. With a start, he realized her intentions and threw himself in front of Katara..._

He collapsed to his knees, glaring at his fingertips. "No!" he yelled at himself. Katara let her water drop and rushed toward him.

"Zuko! Zuko, what's wrong?"

Through his drenched hair, he stared up at her in shock. "I…I was about to use _lightning _on you," he whispered, appalled by himself, as more thoughts of Azula and their final battle flashed around his mind. "I surrender. Take your prize. Ice shards? Water whip? Whatever you want, I'll take it."

He shut his eyes tightly, prepared for her to take her claim for her victory. He felt water grasp his wrist, and he cringed. A moment passed before his rigid muscles relaxed and he realized that the water-now latched to both his wrists and climbing up his arms-was warm and soothing, not cold and relentless, as he expected.

"You are a good guy, Zuko," Katara started. She nodded as he shook his head. "Yes," she insisted, "or else you wouldn't have stopped."

Only briefly pausing, she leaned forward and captured his lips with her own, feeling a blush rise in her caramel skin. Accompanying the sudden rush of blood in her cheeks, a surprisingly hot sensation started beneath her where she had Zuko pinned to the ground. As she pulled away, she could see a delicious, deep red flow across his cheeks.

"I've taken my prize," she declared. "Next time, I don't expect you to surrender so soon. Got it, Zuko?"

He nodded for her instantly, then watched as she turned to walk back toward the tents that Toph and Suki and set up for them all, the movement of his head quickly morphing into one of disagreement. If he surrendered and was rewarded with her lips upon his, then Katara could be sure that she would be winning from now on.

_~Fin~_

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**What can I say? Zuzu has a little *coughmajorcough* crush on a certain waterbender.**

**I don't have the slightest idea when this takes place. All I know is that the Gaang is together, with Suki, and traveling around. **

**The flashback is from the episode "Sozin's Comet: Into The Inferno."**

**Oh, and I don't know the specifics on their how they actually spar, so the fighting is a little...off. But whatever. **

**Review, please?**  
**Tchao, Zutarians.**  
**-Erika-**  
**xoxo**


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